Starting from 3 November 2026, the US will adopt a new Ebola policy. The order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will require a paper or digital statement from all arriving passengers regarding their travels to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In May 2026, an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain was discovered in Central Africa. The WHO declared the event a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 17 after confirmed cases were reported in eastern Congo and linked cross-border infections emerged in Uganda.
Despite the seriousness of the illness, the WHO was very clear about the fact that countries should not close their borders or impose restrictions on travel and trade. The organisation judged the global risk of transmission to be rather low, as Bundibugyo Ebola only spreads via direct contact with infected bodily fluids or blood.
However, the US did not hesitate to take action. In May 2026, passengers who had been in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the prior three weeks were banned from entering the US, and that rule was extended to US citizens in July 2026.
“Travellers, including U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals, who have been in DRC within 21 days before departure will not be allowed to board flights with U.S. destinations. These travellers should plan to remain outside the United States for at least 21 days after they leave DRC. If they have been in outbreak-affected provinces in DRC, they may be subject to additional travel requirements from local authorities before they leave DRC,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) writes.
Those restrictions are set to become even tighter starting from 3 November 2026. The CDC has announced that from that date onwards, all passengers boarding an international flight to the United States, regardless of location of embarkation, must attest in the form of a signed statement that they have not been present in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the 21 days before their flight leaves for the United States.
According to the order, airlines and aircraft operators must confirm that all passengers onboard the aircraft have completed the attestation before or at the moment of boarding. Any passenger who has failed to complete and present such an attestation – unless they have an exemption issued by the US Government – must be prohibited from boarding the plane. A copy of the completed version of the attestation for each passenger must be kept for at least 42 days after the passenger’s flight arrives in the US from a foreign country.
At the moment of writing, specific rules also apply for those travelling from South Sudan or Uganda. Non-US citizens and non-US nationals, including lawful permanent residents with a Green Card, who have been in South Sudan or Uganda within 21 days before departure will not be allowed to enter the United States and should plan to remain outside the US for at least 21 days after they leave South Sudan or Uganda.
US citizens and US nationals who have been present in Uganda or South Sudan (and have not been present in DRC) within 21 days before arrival in the United States will have their air travel routed through designated US airports for public health entry screening. Those airports are Washington-Dulles International Airport (IAD), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), or John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
According to the CDC, no Ebola cases linked to the current outbreak have been reported in the US so far. It is therefore unclear why the US are choosing to change their policy on 3 November 2026.
